1) Wamena residents flee in mass exodus following attack rumor

2) Govt Reopens Data Access after Papua's Wamena Riot

3) Transportation minister ascertains Wamena airport safe for aviation

4) MRP: Violence in Papua must be eliminated

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https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/09/28/wamena-residents-flee-in-mass-exodus-following-attack-rumor.html

1) Wamena residents flee in mass exodus following attack rumor

Benny Mawel The Jakarta Post

Jayapura   /   Sat, September 28, 2019   /   07:33 pm

After the student protests that ended in unrest and killings in Wamena, Papua, on Monday, both indigenous and non-indigenous residents have started to leave the city.

The residents are fleeing the city amid rumors that there will be a huge military deployment to prevent further turbulence in the area.

Some of them are heading to areas in and around Jayawijaya, while some of the transmigrants left Wamena for Jayapura and Timika.

Engelbert Surabut, a civil servant in the Jayawijaya administration, said the residents were fleeing as a result of many rumors about worsening security in the city.

“The rumor about security personnel dropping and sweeping toward indigenous Papuans has made everyone leave the town,” he told journalists on Thursday.

Papuans have also moved to Yalimo, Yahukimo, Lanny Jaya, Tolikara and Puncak regencies, which are the new municipalities outside Jayawijaya.

“The shops are all closed. Some that dared to stay open have only opened half of their doors. The offices are still closed,” he said.

“The people from the surrounding regencies have returned to their hometowns,” Natogorek Dawi, a teacher at YAPP St. Thomas high school told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He said the mass exodus had made Jayawijaya residents confused and they could not predict the situation in the future.

Ayong, a Wamena resident said there were around 5,000 evacuees scattered across several refuge points in Jayawijaya.

“The main points are the Jayawijaya police station and military post. Some are staying in churches,” he said. 

He said 2,000 evacuees had reported to the Air Force to leave Wamena.

Several local and national media outlets have reported that the Indonesian Air Force’s Hercules planes have taken hundreds of people to Jayapura and Timika.

Previously, the Indonesian Military (TNI) confirmed that the death toll of Monday’s unrest had risen to 32.

Students in the city staged protests that escalated into violence on Monday, with some reportedly burning government offices and shop-houses. The chaos, the Papua Police said, was triggered by “baseless information” about a teacher who allegedly used a racial slur against a student.

Many of the deceased victims were found trapped inside their burned houses. (gis)

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https://en.tempo.co/read/1253577/govt-reopens-data-access-after-papuas-wamena-riot?Engteco_newsUtama&campaign=Engteco_newsUtama_Click_1

2) Govt Reopens Data Access after Papua's Wamena Riot

Translator: Laila Afifa   Editor: Laila Afifa 28 September 2019 22:50 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The communication and information ministry has lifted internet restriction in Wamena, Papua, on Saturday, September 28, since the condition in the region has returned to normal after the riot.

The ministry’s head of public relation bureau Ferdinandus Setu said the data access was reopened by considering the security in the region. “This is based on the coordination with the law enforcers and security apparatus,” he said in a written statement received by Tempo, Saturday, Sept. 28.

On September 23, the government decided to restrict internet access in Wamena following the rally and rioting triggered by hoaxes (fake news) and hate speech.

He explained the internet access was also reopened in 15 percent of area in Jayapura, as the other areas regained the data access on September 13

The telecommunication and internet connection in 29 regencies/cities in Papua Province and 13 regencies/cities in West Papua Province have now returned to normal.

The government, Ferdinandus said, continuously calls on all the parties to not spread hoaxes, fake news, and hate speeches, as well as provocation through any media including social platforms.

“It’s important to keep the situation and condition in the two provinces safe,” he remarked.

DIAS PRASONGKO

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/133704/transportation-minister-ascertains-wamena-airport-safe-for-aviation

3) Transportation minister ascertains Wamena airport safe for aviation

15 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has ensured that Wamena Airport in Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, is still safe for aviation activities since no airport facilities had borne the brunt of the September-23 lethal rioting.

"The Wamena Airport did not incur any damage, and it remains safe," Sumadi informed journalists in Jakarta on Friday.

Wamena's rioting, which had taken a deadly turn, erupted during a rally that the native Papuan students had staged on September 23. A total of 30 people, including a medical doctor, lost their lives, while no less than 77 others got injured.

The deceased and injured included non-native Papuans, who were not spared by the rioters that attacked them with machetes and arrows.

The riot that had compelled several thousand residents, mostly non-native Papuans, to take refuge also led to the temporary grounding of flight operations by the Wamena Airport authority.

Head of the 10th Regional Airport Authority Usman Effendi stated that the decision to temporarily ground flight operations was a precautionary measure taken to handle the impact of rioting.

However, the airport operations again resumed to transport refugees keen on leaving Wamena and to fly medical workers for the city to offer assistance to their colleagues at the Wamena public hospital.

In connection with the Wamena rioting, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo pointed out that the masterminds behind this deadly riot are allegedly members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB).

Related news: Deployment of two TNI aircraft to evacuate riot victims in Wamena

On the day the violent rally took place, Commander of the 1702/Jayawijaya District Military Command, Lt Col Candra Dianto had remarked that a gun battle also broke out between the Indonesian security personnel and an armed separatist group around the Pasar Baru area.

The armed rebels might have employed three guns and rifles. Currently, 1,300 military and police personnel are stationed in Jayawijaya District. In the face of the tragic incident of a medical doctor falling victim to Wamena's rioting, the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) has urged security agencies and other related stakeholders, as well as community members to ensure the safety and security of working paramedics across Papua Province.

Related news: Police expose Benny Wenda's involvement in Wamena's lethal riot

Their safety and security is of paramount significance to facilitate optimal and effective services by all paramedics, including doctors, Chairman of the IDI-Papua Chapter Dr Donald Aronggear stated.

Aronggear noted that all paramedics in Papua were mourning the death of 53-year-old Doctor Soeko Marsetiyo in Wamena's deadly rioting that had erupted early this week.

Marsetiyo's death spread panic among several doctors, currently working at the Wamena public hospital, resulting in them requesting to leave the hospital, which was comprehensible, as doctors too are humans seeking a sense of security, he added. Related news: Wamena's deadly riot refugees tended to adequately at police compound

Related news: Traumatized doctors seek transfer from Wamena following mass murders

EDITED BY INE

Reporter: Juwita TR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf

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https://eng.jubi.co.id/mrp-violence-in-papua-must-be-eliminated/

4) MRP: Violence in Papua must be eliminated

Published 22 hours ago on 28 September 2019 By pr9c6tr3_juben

Nabire, Jubi – Fransiskus Tekege, the Chairman of the Religious Affairs Working Group of the Papua’s People Assembly (MRP), said that violence in Papua must be eliminated. If not, innocent people will bear its consequences.

“This is closely engaged with MRP’s vision and mission to protect both indigenous people and the land of Papua. It is a mandate from the state, not a manufactured story,” Tekege declared in a coordination meeting in Nabire to address the issues of radicalism and racism in Papua. The meeting held on Friday (20/09/2019) in KSK Church Hall and attended by the assembly members and religious leaders.

Furthermore, he said the MRP’s Religious Affairs Working Group is responsible for eliminating any forms of discrimination, racism, radicalism and violence. “Religious leaders can pass pacifism messages through sermons and prayers in places of worship. Therefore, it can reduce violence, racism and anything related. So, people will live in harmony and peace,” he said.

For this reason, he said that suggestions and inputs from religious leaders are urgently needed. MRP then will discuss it in a plenary session before providing recommendations to the governor and provincial parliament.

“We will further discuss the result of this meeting before recommending it to the Provincial Papua Government and Papuan House of Representative,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Rev. Mordekai Oilla from Kingmi Church suggested to all relevant stakeholders for not declaring any statements that can provoke and deteriorate the current situation. Further, he said that there is no need to blame each other because everyone is a victim.

He also asked the security forces to hold back and not overreacts over the student post in Nabire. Let it be for accommodating students as long as it does not disturbing.

“The police should restrain unless they (the students) make trouble because they are the victims. We are currently confused because they still do not accept people from outside. So, let us think clearly to address this issue. Instead of deteriorating the situation, we must try to find a solution,” he said.

However, until this news is published, Jubi has not been able yet to meet the students who return to Nabire after the racism against Papuans recently occurred. They are still traumatized and do not want to see any guests except families. They also refuse to meet the regional government and parliament as well as religious leaders at the moment. (*)

Reporter: Titus Ruban
Editor: Pipit Maizier

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